Will I Regret Choosing D.o.?

[Pigg-O-Stat]

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As an impending medical student interested in internal medicine, it looks as though I will be entering a DO program. I could go either way personally, but logistically, COM-Mesa (a DO school) works best, as I can stay closer to my wife and child, and matriculate sooner. As residents, can anyone share some pros and cons of this path??? Thank you.

 

[Dr. ZZ]

basically wherever u go to medical school...your end goal is to get a good residency.......and programs have a preference

1. AMG Allopathic med school (MD)
2. AMG Osteopathic med school (D.O)
3. FMG Allopathic (US Citizien) (MD)
4. If your last name is Patel or Shah and u came from india a few weeks ago

 

[viostorm]

As an impending medical student interested in internal medicine, it looks as though I will be entering a DO program. I could go either way personally, but logistically, COM-Mesa (a DO school) works best, as I can stay closer to my wife and child, and matriculate sooner. As residents, can anyone share some pros and cons of this path??? Thank you.

Weren't you the one we had this long drawn out discussion about Ross?

I think if choosing between Ross and COM-Mesa and if you don't want to do a competitive surgical specialty i think you will be fine.

I'm a med student not a resident.

 

[irlandesa]

If you have the opportunity to go to a US Allopathic school, and it wouldn't break up your family to do so, I would go for it. Most DO's I know are great clinicians, but what if you end up being interested in a competitive specialty or with a strong desire to practice in an area that is not particularly DO friendly(Boston is the only one I know of, granted). In any other circumstances, however, I think that you will do quite well with the osteopathic route, and without regrets.

 

[idiotpathic]

"4. If your last name is Patel or Shah and u came from india a few weeks ago"

jalso qoute. lmao.

 

[DOapplicant]

you won't get consideration at the most prestigious programs if that matters to you (ie columbia, mass general).
but you will be able to find a good program and be placed into a fellowship.

--i find that comment about indians offensive (regardless of the ethnicity of that poster)

 

[Dr. ZZ]

it would be offensive it was a LIE...but in all reality that's how it is.....India has a large population...thus they produce a large amount of M.D's....and the U.S is the best place to practice medicine for money reasons...
furthermore...the mass migration into the US Medical system....
if i offended you..then oh well....im sure u'll be fine and get over it...merry xmas

 

[Hernandez]

As an impending medical student interested in internal medicine, it looks as though I will be entering a DO program. I could go either way personally, but logistically, COM-Mesa (a DO school) works best, as I can stay closer to my wife and child, and matriculate sooner. As residents, can anyone share some pros and cons of this path??? Thank you.

There are some very good DO IM programs, several with their own fellowships as well. I can tell you about several in Oklahoma, Mo, Ohio, Pa, and a few other assorted DO IM programs. There will be a larger number of Allo programs to choose from, but in both the DO and MD world (IMHO) about half do not practice medicine like I want to, far too many programs I looked at are far to quick to run off and find the specialist instead of managing their own pts. If you have any questions about some DO programs that I might now something about, feel free to ask, but giving your location, I probably won't know any you'd be looking at geographically.

 

[Pigg-O-Stat]

Thank you all for the feedback. I am currently in AZ, but would like to be back in San Diego after school. I would like to do a fellowship. If I had to make a choice today, I would choose Endocrinology. How difficult will this be as a DO as apposed to MD?

 

[Shah_Patel_PT]

it would be offensive it was a LIE...but in all reality that's how it is.....India has a large population...thus they produce a large amount of M.D's....and the U.S is the best place to practice medicine for money reasons...
furthermore...the mass migration into the US Medical system....
if i offended you..then oh well....im sure u'll be fine and get over it...merry xmas

I'll take care of you, once I am an attending.

 

[idiotpathic]

i agree it was a highly politically incorrect qoute by zz about patels and shahs. but being a gujarati myself - i still found it hilarious.

well if u can laugh at urself - u can laugh at anything.

happy holidays yall🙂

 

[im do 08]

If you have any questions about some DO programs that I might now something about, feel free to ask, but giving your location, I probably won't know any you'd be looking at geographically.

Hey Hernandez,

I'm really considering going into IM and i'd love to hear what you have to say about programs around PA... any pointers?

Thanks a bunch! 😉

im do 08

 

[Hernandez]

Hey Hernandez,

I'm really considering going into IM and i'd love to hear what you have to say about programs around PA... any pointers?

Thanks a bunch! 😉

im do 08

Make sure you rotate through LHV. They seem to have a great program but I didn't rotate through there, but I did like what I saw. I did rotate through St Luke's in beth Pa and I have mixed feelings about their program, it would take a while to type out on a PDA. I'll be looking at Frankford and Abbington memorial within the next month, so I'll be able to say more about them later. Those are the only ones I can or will be able to comment on directly.

 

[NNguyenMD]

Thank you all for the feedback. I am currently in AZ, but would like to be back in San Diego after school. I would like to do a fellowship. If I had to make a choice today, I would choose Endocrinology. How difficult will this be as a DO as apposed to MD?

Not likely to be very difficult if you're a little flexible with location. And I welcome anyone to correct me if they disagree. But the general competitiveness of fellowships depending where you go usually looks like this from hardest to easier.

1.Cards
1.GI
2.Hem/Onc
3.Nephrology
4.Pulm/CC
4.Endocrine
4.Rheum
5.ID
6.Geriatrics

However, fellowships at UCSD and/or Scripps will be more competitive to get overall. You'll have more success matching into a lucrative fellowship if you're not particular on your location. If you're hell/bent on staying in SD then plan on participating lots of clinical and/or basic science research.

 

[gclax30]

What about a D.O. that would like to train in the northeast with a possible ID fellowship later on? There are few osteopathic medicine programs in New England, far more allo. Any ones that are particularly D.O. friendly… or have at least taken a couple in the past?

 

[turkleton]

It's tough knowing what you want to do before you even start med school, but I think the DO/MD debate has value only if this is considered. If you're fairly certain you want do something like FM, peds, IM (without the aforementioned competitive specialties) you'll probably be fine. ENT, Rads, surgery, etc. might be harder, or impossible. However, you have the added issue of your wife and kids. Med school is tough, MD or DO. Personally, I think it would be tougher (if it were me) not to see my wife and kids... I would take whatever minor implications it had on my career to go to DO and live with them.

P.S. India does not produce that many doctors for various reasons, but the ones it does produce often have a desire to escape a poverty you've never seen and help their families. Those jerks.